A bill filed in the state Senate Wednesday by a local senator would require those convicted of human trafficking, or pimps, to register as sex offenders.

Sen. Thom Goolsby, R-New Hanover, filed his Sex Trafficking/Sex Offender Registration act Wednesday. It is the second of several bills Goolsby filed this week as he starts to work on his legislative agenda.

North Carolina ranks among the eight worst states for sex trafficking, according to a state coalition. The problem many attribute to the prevalence of major interstates, ports, military bases and a transient workforce, Goolsby said.

"It has just finally come on the radar," Goolsby said. "We have to get North Carolina out of that top 10.

The bill comes weeks after former Ashley High School student Alexandrea Berte, 20, pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge in connection with her involvement in an interstate sex-trafficking scheme that set up makeshift brothels in Wilmington and Winston-Salem. The charge carries a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, according to court documents.

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